I'll Be There For You
by delicatelyglitterywriter
Summary: Tyler promised that he'd be there for her, forever. Kitty wonders if he still means forever. There's only one terrifying way to find out. She books her flight back to Essex, the place she and her friends grew up. But, what if it's Kitty who needs to keep her side of the promise and let Tyler be there for her?
1. Forever

_"C'mon, SJ!" Hannah encouraged. "Show 'em the dance you made up for this!"_

 _Sarah-Jane Kirke and her group of friends: Hannah, Timothy, Amanda, Tyler and Samuel were secretly watching the TV show "Friends". They were doing it in secret because they knew that their parents wouldn't approve. But, hey, they were teenagers, so it was pretty much their job to rebel._

 _"Mmm mmm," Sarah-Jane shook her head. "Not unless you do it with me!"_

 _"Oh, alright!" Hannah agreed, pretending to be hesitant. Both girls leapt off the couch as the theme song started playing. The other teens sang along while Sarah-Jane and Hannah danced. Once the theme song, they both plopped back down in unison, giggling. They both reached for some popcorn and shovelled it into their mouths._

 _"Ew!" Samuel protested. "That's gross."_

 _Just to gross him out even more, Sarah-Jane opened her mouth wide, revealing her half-chewed popcorn._

Kitty Winter smiled at the memory. She used to have so much fun as a little girl. That is, until she'd been exposed to the real world; the world outside of "Friends". Kitty hurriedly wiped a right tear that escaped from her eye. She knew she had to get away, she just didn't know where. If only she'd kept in touch with her friends.

 _Tap, tap, tap._

 _Sarah-Jane looked up when she heard three soft knocks on her bedroom door._

 _"SJ? Can I come in?"_

 _The voice belonged to Tyler._

 _"I can't have him see me like this!" Kitty thought to herself, thinking of her tear-stained face. Every cell in her body screamed at her to shut people out, to be strong and not let anyone see how vulnerable she was at the moment._

 _But, at the same time, there was this tiny feeling that she felt. The feeling of wanting to let just one person in. Just one. Just one, so that not everyone would know her suffering, but so that she could share the burden with just one person. She eventually gave into that feeling._

 _"Yeah," she croaked, internally cursing when her voice cracked. The door opened and she lowered her. She felt Tyler sit down on the bed and place a comforting hand on her back._

 _"I know I don't know how it feels to have parents split," Tyler said. "But if you need, y'know, someone to talk to, or just someone to hug you when you cry, I'm right here."_

 _Sarah-Jane managed a weak smile before breaking down. Tyler just held her while the tears flowed steadily down both sides of her face. As she was crying, Sarah-Jane heard Tyler softly humming the tune from "Friends". She sung along in her head, letting the words make her feel better. Eventually, she stopped, and was even able to sing the last line._

 _"I'll be there for you, 'coz you're there for me too."_

 _"Yes, I will," Tyler promised. "Forever."_

Now, at this moment, Kitty wished more than ever that she were back in that moment, just in someone's arms for comfort. Kitty remembered that Tyler had said, "forever" when he made that promise. She wondered if he still meant forever. She knew that there was only one way to find out. One terrifying, gut-wrenching, downright petrifying way to find out.

"Yes, I'd like to book a flight to Essex, please."

* * *

 **This didn't get many hits on Tumblr (just 1 note!), so I posted it here. There will be more to come soon, I promise :)**


	2. Long Time, No See

**The disclaimer thingy:** I don't own any of the characters. Except Tyler, Chelsea and Jemima. I also own all the tears that I cried writing this.

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The flight to Essex was a really long one, and gave Kitty plenty of time to think. Not that she actually wanted to think. She just wanted to get it over with, so that if Tyler turned her away, it would be quick and hopefully painless. The agonising hours of thinking just made the thought of being rejected hurt even more, and made the whole ordeal scarier.

If she was honest with herself, the person she wanted by her side most at that moment was Sherlock. But that was not an option, as he was staying in New York to continue his work. Kitty couldn't ask him to give it up to follow her and coddle her like a father coddling his five-year-old girl.

Just like Tyler was doing at that moment. His little girl, Chelsea had just fallen off the monkey bars and gotten winded for the first time. The little girl was terrified because she couldn't breathe. Tyler was there, assuring her that it was okay. Chelsea soon gained her breath again and stopped crying, eventually calming down.

"That was scary, daddy," she said quietly, cuddling up close to his chest.

"I know, Chels," he said, giving her a hug. "Now, how about showing me how you can get up on top of the monkey bars?"

Chelsea shook her head, no. It was far too scary to get back on the play equipment that she had been injured falling from mere minutes before. But, after several more minutes of persuasion, Chelsea got up on top of the monkey bars and showed off to her father. Tyler applauded her, and they spent another half hour at the playground before racing each other home.

When they got home, Chelsea's mother got her off to a bath and then set her in front of the TV to watch some kid's show. Tyler informed his wife about the whole incident at the park, and did it in such a way that made her laugh. He always could make her laugh.

Several hours later, Tyler's wife, Jemima, served up dinner for her family, which they all enjoyed. Chelsea rambled on about everything: friends, school, the playground, the TV show she was just watching, food and anything else that came to mind.

Meanwhile, Kitty had landed and looked Tyler up. She was standing on his doorstep and heard laughter from inside. She assumed it was his family having dinner together. She heard a little girl and it finally hit her that he had gotten married and had a child. Maybe even several children. This just made it even harder for Kitty, because she did not want to interrupt a family having dinner. She considered just booking a hotel room and coming back the next day.

But, before she could walk away, her body seemed to gain a mind of its own and she found herself pressing the doorbell.

Tyler, Jemima and Chelsea heard it from inside, and Tyler said that he'd get it, which he did. He assumed that it was some door to door salesman, _again_ , and he opened the door. In front of him stood a woman, no older than 25 years of age. She had reddish-brown hair, brown eyes which were glistening with tears and a tear-stained face. For some odd reason, Tyler felt like he knew her from somewhere.

"Can I help you, miss?" Tyler asked, stepping outside and almost closing the door fully. He then noticed the woman had a suitcase with her and a backpack slung over her shoulder.

Kitty took in her friend's appearance. He hadn't changed a bit, except for his height and the fact that he looked older. She didn't know what to say to him. Her heart was both relieved and broken after seeing him after such a long time.

"Tyler, I…" Kitty started, but trailed off when she felt her voice cracking. She choked back more tears. At the woman's voice, it was as if a lightbulb clicked in Tyler's head. Now he knew why she looked familiar. A smile spread across his face.

"Sarah-Jane Kirke!" he exclaimed. "It's been, what, five years since we saw each other! How are you?"

"Not too good," Kitty admitted. "And my name now isn't Sarah-Jane. It's Kitty. Kitty Winter. I didn't know where else to go."

At the sight of one of his closest friends about to cry, Tyler opened his arms, which Kitty instinctively leaned in to. She let a few tears fall, but forced herself to stop. She pulled back, ending the hug.

"Do you need a place to stay?" Tyler offered. Kitty nodded. "Well, come on. I have a guest room you can stay in."

"What about your family?" she asked, swiping at her nose. Tyler gave her a suspicious look. "I heard them laughing from inside."

Tyler nodded. "They won't mind," he assured her. "Now, come in. I'm not going to let you freeze out here in the cold."

Tyler opened the door and let Kitty in. He led her up the stairs and invited her into the guest room, before grabbing a few linens from the cupboard.

"Now, Sa-, sorry, Kitty," he said, correcting his mistake. "Why don't you have a bath? I'll finish dinner with my family, and then we can talk. We have a lot to catch up on."

Kitty nodded accepting the towel gratefully. Tyler quickly showed her the facilities and then left her to her bath. Or shower. Whichever one she chose. Kitty managed a weak smile as she heard Tyler and his family laughing downstairs. He seemed to still care for her, which is exactly what she needed.

She stepped into the shower, and she let the hot water scald her skin. She welcomed the pain to take her mind off her raw emotions. As the water ran over her body, she hummed the "Friends" theme to herself to try and re-create that moment from some ten years ago. As she sung the last line, her voice cracked.

Kitty slumped down to the shower floor and wept.

* * *

 **Legit, like, only one person has seen the first installment of this story. And I'm pretty sure _nobody_ follows me on here, but I don't care. I'm gonna post this anyway. **


	3. A Child's Gift

**Disclaimer thingy (again):** Elementary characters no mine. If they were, I would probably die of a heart attack before I could write any more fic.

* * *

"Ty," Jemima asked when her husband came back to the dinner table. "What was that all about? Why is the shower going?"

"An old friend came here in need of a place to stay," Tyler explained to his wife and daughter. "I couldn't turn her away."

Chelsea seemed to accept it, but his wife required further information.

"Her name is Kitty Winter," Tyler said. "And I knew her when we were kids. We haven't seen each other in five years, but I still care about her."

Chelsea, again, seemed quite content with the information and went back to playing with her Mac 'n' Cheese before gobbling each piece down. Tyler shot his wife a look that said 'we'll discuss this later'. The family went back to their dinner in peace.

After a while, Kitty had managed to stop crying and finish washing. She was now in some pyjamas, sitting on the guest bed with her knees to her chest. She internally cursed the emotions for not just going away. She looked up when she heard a tap on the door.

"Kitty? May I come in?" he asked. Kitty felt a sharp tug at her heart because Tyler's words sounded a lot like something Sherlock would say.

"Yeah."

Kitty's voice didn't crack this time. Tyler opened the door, and then closed it behind him for privacy. He sat down on the bed and opened his arms, which Kitty automatically snuggled in.

"Now, Kitty," Tyler started. "You know you can stay here as long as you need to, but I have to know what's going on."

Kitty sighed. She was going to tell him anyway, she just felt like she wasn't ready. But, then again, would she _ever_ be ready to tell anyone about it? She decided to try and if she couldn't finish the story tonight, she'd finish it another night. Kitty let out another sigh.

"It started five years ago," Kitty started her story, pulling away from Tyler. "I was, uh, kidnapped."

She paused to get a read on Tyler. His eyes flickered with all sorts of emotion, but he didn't say anything.

"The man who kidnapped me," Kitty recalled. "He put tape over my eyes and bound my hands. He then, uh, raped me."

Kitty forced all the emotion back down and then stood up and turned around. She pulled her top up to reveal her scars.

"He also did this."

"Oh my god," she heard Tyler breathe from behind her, gently running his fingers over them. "Son of bitch!"

Kitty pulled away and dropped her top. She turned around again, feeling the tears sting her eyes, _again_.

"He did it so a lot of other women," Kitty said. "But, unlike them, I got away. I ran away to London and changed my identity, which is why you couldn't find me. Why no one could."

She sat back down and Tyler reached for her hand, cradling it gently.

"Then, while in London, I met another man," Kitty continued, feeling the tears dissipate. "His name was…is Sherlock. He's a detective and found me. He taught me how to be a detective. Eventually, he took me back to New York with him and I continued to study under him. I met his former partner and also learnt off her."

Kitty stopped and swallowed slowly, preparing for the next part of the story.

"Then, last night, I found him," she said. "I found him, Ty. I found the man who raped me."

She felt Tyler squeeze her hand a little bit.

"I had every intention of killing him," she kept going. "But Sherlock showed up. He said that whether I decided to let my offender live or kill him, I'd always be special to him."

Kitty choked back the tears that were coming faster than she could stop them.

"I didn't kill him," she went on, trying to ignore the tears. "I instead burnt his face quite badly. Then I had to run away before I went to jail."

Kitty managed to regain control of her emotions.

"And whilst deciding where I should go, I remembered when we were fifteen," she continued. "How you promised you'd always be there for me when my parents split up. I know you're a man of your word, so I…I didn't know where else to turn."

Kitty lost control of her emotions as quickly as she had gained it and Tyler pulled her into a nice, big, bear hug.

"Oh, Kitty," he murmured. "It's going to be alright. You poor little piglet."

Tyler had always called her a piglet because she ate like a pig and sometimes snored. But a pig would be an insult, so he toned it down a notch to 'piglet'. At the sound of her sort-of nickname, Kitty let out a snort-ish noise that was somewhere between a cry and a laugh. Tyler smiled softly.

Kitty suddenly stopped crying, pulled away and distanced herself.

"I'm sorry I'm such a burden," she said so quietly it was barely audible.

"What are you talking about?" Tyler asked, letting out a humourless laugh and standing up. "You're not a burden, you're my friend! Whatever would make you say something like that?"

"I just, I feel…" Kitty trailed off, feeling a tear roll down her face again. She drew in a shaky breath and in an instant, Tyler was by her side.

"No, no, Kitty," he assured her. "You don't need to feel that way, because it's simply not true."

Kitty collapsed into Tyler's arms once again and sobbed. Tyler sat them both down, and held Kitty as close as he could, just rubbing her back gently.

From downstairs, Chelsea and Jemima both heard the sobbing. Jemima knew, as an adult, that it was not socially acceptable to interrupt something like that. However, being only five years old, Chelsea did _not_ know that etiquette. So, she went into the backyard and picked a bunch of daisies and made a daisy chain in possibly the fastest time ever non-recorded.

As soon as she was done, and her mother's back was turned, she tiptoed upstairs towards the sobbing. She came across the closed door and she knocked. The sobbing abruptly stopped and she heard her father's voice inviting her in.

She opened the door and walked in.

"You Kitty?" she asked the woman on the bed with her father. The woman nodded. "You seem sad. So I make you this!"

The little five year old presented the daisy chain and, with Kitty co-operation, she placed it delicately on top of Kitty's head. She then gave Kitty a kiss on the cheek.

"It all be O.K, Kitty," she assured the woman. "You don't need to be sad."

With that, Chelsea spun on her heel and exited the room, closing the door behind her. Kitty took the wreath off her head and held it in front of her to examine.

A ghostly smile warmed her face as she admired the child's gift in her hands.

* * *

 **Thanks to the lovely Nonnie who left a lovely review. And to whoever is reading this, keep reading, 'coz it makes me feel special when people take the time to read my work :)**


	4. I Wish I Could

**I only own the darling Tyler, Jemima and Chelsea. Everyone else are living somewhere in New York with CBS. :(**

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The daisy chain that Chelsea made for Kitty ended up calming her down. She just sat there in Tyler's arms, staring at the flowers. They seemed to have some sort of magical power that soothed her aching heart, and she eventually fell asleep.

Tyler tucked her in and then gently pried the daisy chain from her hands. He placed it on the nightstand next to her, lest it should get destroyed while she slept. He then left the room, closing the door behind her.

Tyler ushered the five-year-old to bed and then went to talk to his wife about Kitty. In all honesty, his emotions were also raw after hearing Kitty's story. Yet, he decided his wife ought to know at the soonest possible time.

He and Jemima sat down at the table and sat in silence until Jemima spoke.

"Who is Kitty?" she asked. "And why did you let her in? Why did I hear her sobbing? Is the dear alright?"

Jemima kept firing off her questions, but Tyler stopped her.

"Let me tell the whole story from the beginning," Tyler requested and Jemima nodded. "Kitty used to be known as Sarah-Jane Kirke."

A look of realisation washed over Jemima's face. She had also known Sarah-Jane. Tyler had introduced Jemima to her friends, and Sarah-Jane had also been a bridesmaid at the wedding. She remembered quite liking Sarah-Jane.

"We used to be friends as children," he continued. "But, five years ago, she disappeared, without a trace. A body was never found, and I just assumed she was dead. But, she told me earlier that she had been kidnapped and raped."

Tyler felt his heart burning with emotion: hurt, anger, vengeance and helplessness. And yet, he said the words with such a lack of emotion, it frightened him.

"Kitty managed to get away," he went on. "And ran away to London, where she changed her identity, which is why I couldn't find her. Then a detective found her, took her on and trained her. She moved back to New York with him and worked with him.

"Then, in past few days, they found the man who hurt her. Kitty almost killed him, but the detective she was working with talked her out of it. But she still hurt him bad. She then had to run away to avoid jail, and she ended up here."

Jemima nodded, rubbing Tyler's hand gently. Tyler rarely cried, but now, he had a hard time holding back the tears.

"I just wish I could do more to help her," he said shakily, the first tear falling. "I wish I could take her pain away."

Jemima got up and rounded the table, putting her arms around Tyler's shoulders.

"I know, Ty," Jemima soothed. "But you can't. You can't take her pain away. But you can and are helping her. You opened up this house to a friend who needed a place to stay. I'd say that's help enough."

"Why her, Jemima?" Tyler sobbed quietly. "Why sweet little Sarah-Jane of all people?"

"I don't know why it had to be Sarah-Jane," Jemima continued to attempt to comfort him. "But if there's one thing I know about Sarah-Jane, or Kitty now, she's a strong girl. She'll make it through this. Your job is to stand beside her the whole time."

Tyler couldn't say anything because he was crying so hard. Jemima pressed a small kiss to the top of his head.

Abruptly, Tyler pushed her away, got up with rage and stormed out of the house. Jemima followed him until he started running.

"Ty!" she called. He heard her, but he didn't turn back. He kept running.

* * *

 **Yeah, I don't really know where this is going. Guess we'll find out together...**


	5. Running

**I have not been able to gain ownership of Kitty, Sherlock or Joan. I will let you know when I do. Until further notice: I only own Ty and hsi awesome fam. :)**

* * *

 _Kitty couldn't remember what had happened. All she remembered was being at club and having a good drink. She couldn't recall anything after that. She tried to open her eyes, but they were sealed shut. She tried to reach up with her hands to open them, but found her hands were restrained. Kitty began breathing heavily._

 _Where was she? Was she alone? Were those footsteps? Who else was there? What happened?_

 _The door opened and she whimpered a bit. She heard a voice and tried to get away._

 _Suddenly, she was standing in the corner of the room. She saw a red-head who looked quite a bit like her on the floor. She had tape over her eyes and her hands were bound. Kitty wanted to run, she wanted to hide, she wanted to cry, but her body wouldn't let her. She looked at the girl on the floor closer. The girl was her._

 _How am I in two places at once? What's going on?_

 _She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head to see Sherlock beside her._

 _"Sherlock!" she exclaimed quietly. "You're back."_

 _"I never left," he said simply._

 _Then he vanished._

Kitty bolted upright, panting. She was in a pool of cold sweat, having just woken up from a nightmare.

"It's okay, Kitty," she assured herself. "It was just a bad dream. Just a bad dream."

But, no matter how she tried to comfort herself, she couldn't help but feel as if she were seven again. She was scared and alone. She desperately wanted to snuggle up in Tyler's arms again, but didn't want to bother him. Kitty instead glanced over at the clock.

3:56

Kitty groaned and flopped back down, and was welcomed to an unpleasant wet feeling. She sighed and pried herself out of bed. She considered getting some milk and trying to go back to sleep, but knew deep down that doing that would not do anything. So she decided to just get back up.

So, Kitty pried herself out of bed, wrapped the dressing gown Tyler had gotten for her around herself, slipped on the slippers Tyler had put out for her and crept down the stairs. She grabbed some paper and a pencil and made herself comfortable on the couch.

Kitty pulled a blanket over herself and then used her feet to pry her slippers off. She then reached over and turned the lamp on. The dim light lit up the room, illuminating off the paper. Kitty picked up the pencil and twirled it in between her fingers. She wondered what she should draw or write on the piece of paper.

Kitty remembered her dream and decided to try composing a letter to Sherlock. So she began.

 _Dear Sherlock,_

Kitty stopped. What should she write? Should she tell him about her dream? Should she even be writing a letter to him? After all, she had only left him yesterday. It was a little early. And yet, she longed to be by his side again. She couldn't explain it, but around him, she felt safe, she felt secure, she felt loved, she felt _home_.

Kitty felt the tears burning in her eyes for the umpteenth time in the past hours, and, like every other time, she forced them back; she brushed away her emotion. She decided to try the letter.

Kitty tried many things in the letter. She tried telling him about her dream. She tried telling him how much she already missed him. She tried telling him that she wished he could have come with her. She tried telling him so many things. But, no matter how she wrote them, they just didn't sound right.

She did this for hours. Each time she screwed up, she tore the paper off and dumped it on the couch beside her. It was like a letter-writing scene in a movie. Kitty actually snickered at that thought. It was the first time she had actually felt remotely happy in over 48 hours. She then came up with the perfect things to write, and spent the next hour writing it all down.

Kitty finished just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. Exhaustion took over Kitty and she was asleep in minutes.

Jemima woke up about a half-hour after Kitty fell asleep on the couch and she got up. She had a shower and got dressed and then went downstairs. The first thing she saw was Kitty zonked out on the couch. Jemima smiled to herself when she saw all the scrunched up pieces of paper.

Jemima then collected up all the scraps and threw them away. She saw the letter Kitty had been writing and decided to envelope it for her. She then placed it on Kitty's lamp. She turned the lamp off and prepared breakfast. But, before doing so, she went into the garage to check it Tyler had ever come back. He hadn't.

Kitty awoke again an hour later to the smell of pancakes. Kitty smiled weakly before opening her eyes. She remembered the night before in vivid detail and looked around for the paper, pencil and paper scraps. They weren't there.

What was there was an envelope, sealed, with a post-it note on the back that said: "Good morning, dear. I see you had a busy night writing this letter! The letter you wrote is inside. You just fill the details out and post it."

Kitty smiled a bit bigger and pulled herself off the couch and followed the smell of the pancakes. Jemima grinned when she saw her.

"Good morning, dear!" she greeted chirpily. "Rough night?"

Kitty nodded.

"Well, some pancakes will make you feel better," Jemima said. "Eat."

Kitty thanked her and munched on the pancakes quietly. Jemima soon sat down and had a few herself. Both women ate in silence until they heard the _pitter patter_ of Chelsea's feet coming down the stairs.

"'Morning, mama!" Chelsea greeted. "'Morning, Kitty!"

"Hi," Kitty said shortly.

"Hello, sweetie," her mother said. "Would you like some pancakes?"

Chelsea nodded eagerly, so her Jemima made her some pancakes, which she devoured like she hadn't had a meal in three weeks. After finishing her breakfast, Chelsea spoke up.

"Where's daddy?"

Kitty gave Jemima a look that said, "yeah, where _is_ Ty?"

"He left last night," Jemima said, collecting up the dishes. "He didn't come back."

"Is daddy okay?"

"He will be," Jemima assured the little girl. "He'll be back."

Kitty knew he had left because of her. She knew that he had always been caring and didn't like to see his friends suffer. She knew that he had lost it and ran because of what she had been through, because of her past. The happiness and peace Kitty had finally gained earlier dissipated.

She got up, got dressed, wrote down the details and went to post her letter. Once it was posted, she went off searching for Tyler to see if she couldn't talk some sense into him. But partway through her search, she decided against it. She didn't want to bother Tyler with her troubles anymore.

So, Kitty went back to Tyler's place and shut herself in the guest room. She packed her bags and left a note thanking Tyler and his family for their hospitality. She left it on the bedside table, without an explanation of why she was leaving.

She then opened the window and chucked her luggage down carefully. It landed with a soft thud. She wasn't particularly worried about Tyler's wife catching her – she had taken Chelsea to her swimming lesson.

Kitty climbed out the window, picked up her luggage, and did exactly what she had done five years ago, and what Tyler had done the night before. She ran.

* * *

 **Okay, so my hands gained a mind of their own, and landed on this. I will try to regain control of my hands, and bring you all to a happy ending (eventually).**


	6. Love Kitty

**Nothing has changed about ownership of the characters since the last chapter**

* * *

Tyler spent the night and day in town. He just needed some space and then he'd go back. He knew that Kitty needed him, but he also knew he couldn't be there for her if he was an emotional wreck. That evening, he returned home.

He entered quietly, but, somehow, his daughter still heard him. She shrieked a 'daddy' and ran to him, almost bowling him over when she jumped into his arms. Jemima appeared shortly afterwards and Chelsea disappeared up the stairs.

"Feel better?" Jemima asked, pecking him on the cheek. Tyler nodded.

"I'm sorry I ran off like that," he apologised.

"It's not me you need to apologise to," Jemima responded, nodding towards the guest room. "She's been in there all day."

Tyler sighed, but didn't put it off. He ascended the stairs and tapped softly on her door.

"Kitty?" he asked. There was no response. "May I come in, Kitty?"

There was still no response, so he creaked open the door, just to check that she was alright. She wasn't in there, only a note.

 _I had to leave, Ty. Thanks for your hospitality. Please say thank you to your wife for the lovely pancakes_

Tyler knew, he didn't know how he knew, but he knew that he was the reason she left. He shouldn't have run off like that. He screwed up big time, and he didn't know how to fix it. So, he just sat down on the bed and rested his head in his hands.

Kitty, meanwhile, had caught a bus to London. She knew could very likely bring back some painful memories, but it was also the place where she had left her past behind her and started afresh. She hoped she could do the same this time. She spent the rest of the day looking around London for a place to stay.

Somehow, Kitty found herself in front of 221B – Sherlock's previous home. She decided that it was the best possible place she could stay, so, she picked the lock (she didn't have a key) and locked the door behind her. She quickly made herself at home, and, even though Sherlock was hundreds of kilometres away, she felt close to him here. And she loved it

Tyler searched for Kitty while still looking after his family. Kitty had settled in quite well and gone to see if she could get a job with Scotland Yard. When they heard that she had worked with Sherlock, they happily took her on.

At the same time that Kitty joined Scotland Yard, Sherlock received a letter in the mail. He was very pleased when he saw that it was from Kitty. He made himself comfortable on the floor and started to read.

 _Dear Sherlock,_

 _I never got a chance to apologise for leaving you so abruptly. So, here is my apology: I am sorry I left you so suddenly. And without a proper goodbye._

 _This letter is solely to tell you how much I miss you, even though it's been only one day since I left you. Although, by the time you receive this, I'm sure it will be more accurate to say several days._

 _Like I said on the phone, it's been years since I've been able to tell anyone that I love them. You should feel privileged to know that you are among the few people in this world I care about, just as I felt privileged that I got to study under you._

 _I miss you dearly, Sherlock._

 _Love Kitty_

* * *

 **Okay, so I still haven't gained control of my hands. But I promise I will. It'll take a while, but I will.**


	7. No One Like Sherlock

**Okay, before the disclaimer and the story, you should be warned: I almost had another waterworks writing this one. So, make sure you have a box of tissues with you before you read this.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Kitty, Sherlock, Joan or the dude who took and raped Kitty (I always forget his name!). If I did own them, Kitty's offender would be six feet under, Andrew never would have died and he and Joan would be happily married with little kids running around. Sherlock and Kitty would be Uncle Sherlock ("I am not your brother, and therefore, not the childrens' uncle") and Aunty Kitty. Yes, I know, I spend waaaaaay to much time on fictional characters. Read on :)**

 **Oh, and, uh, this chapter is a little bit repetitive, but I guess that's just the way it is in Kitty's head right now. *shrug***

* * *

Tyler kept trying to call Kitty. He felt really bad that she had left; he knew it was his fault. If only he hadn't run off like that. If only he had been more ready to talk through his feelings with Jemima. He never had been particularly good at talking through his feelings. If only…

There were so many 'if only' and 'what if I had' thoughts swimming through his mind at the moment.

He'd already tried Kitty fourteen times that day, and it wasn't even noon. Jemima hadn't said anything, but Tyler could tell she didn't approve of him beating up on himself like he was.

But he had to get her back. He didn't want Kitty, _his_ Kitty to live on her own when she needed a friend the most. Tyler knew he didn't really have a right to call Kitty 'his', but he cared about her deeply, and that made him feel very protective of her.

Meanwhile, in 221B, Kitty heard her phone buzz, again, but ignored it when she saw that it was Tyler. She wasn't ready to talk to him again. Not after she had poured out her heart and soul to him, only to have him run away from it and her.

Kitty knew in her head that he had run for a good reason, she'd had plenty of time to think about that. She knew, in her head, that he'd had to clear his mind before he could help her further. In her head, it was a fact.

But she didn't feel it in her heart. In her heart, she felt nothing. It was like there was something there before, but now it was just gone. It was that feeling one gets after he or she has just had a good, long cry and then stops and feels nothing; it was the feeling of numbness in the heart.

The last time Kitty had felt this way was five years ago, after she had gotten away. She had purposely numbed her heart to block out the pain. She had worn her happy mask, and quickly learned to disguise any emotion that might trigger the memories as anger. These emotions consisted of any emotion that caused tears.

Kitty had trained herself so well to be like this, that she forgot how to feel. She lost all capability of feeling any emotion except anger and indifference. She never felt happy, or sad, or crushed or any of those emotions. Only anger and indifference, which quite often led to boredom.

But then, Kitty had met Sherlock. He was the best thing to ever happen to her. He was the one who had taught her how to feel again. Which was really impressive for a man who was quite void of emotion himself.

Kitty snickered to herself at what she had once thought of him. An emotionless man, married to his work. Kitty had created quite an image of him. But she quickly learned that she had been wrong. He was, indeed, quite capable, and even full of emotion. He was just better than most people at hiding it, and even sometimes convincing himself that he couldn't feel certain things.

Love, for example. Kitty moved on from snickering to a fond smile as she reflected on how she had been the one who had taught Sherlock how to love.

When Kitty had first met him, she had quickly picked up on the fact that Sherlock had _convinced_ himself that he was not capable of loving. Affection, yes. He could definitely feel affection, but not love. But Kitty, somehow, in the just under a year she was with him, had managed to persuade him that he could feel love, and had even _taught_ him how to love. And without ever saying a single word about love.

Kitty's smile dissipated as she remembered the other night, when Sherlock had said that he would always care about her, no matter what. That had been the hardest night of her life. Even harder than getting taken by that man. Kitty found it even harder to confront him than to be taken by him. It had almost driven her to become a murderer.

It had taken the world, _her_ world to give her the strength to do the right thing. Then she had gotten the hell out of there.

Kitty almost dissolved into tears as her mind went to the airport. She didn't want to think about the airport, but she had no choice. She tried to stop herself from thinking about it, but she couldn't. She remembered the last words she had said to Sherlock.

 _"You know what I haven't said to anyone in a really long time? I love you. Isn't that the saddest thing?"_

Kitty knew that she'd never find someone else she loved like Sherlock. That was enough to send her into another sobbing fit. Beside her, her phone buzzed again. But, as the fifteen times before, she ignored it again. She let it go to voicemail, and that's when she heard Tyler's voice.

"Kitty, I'm so sorry I ran away like that. I…I wasn't thinking. Please Kitty, I don't want you to be by yourself when you need a friend the most. Please Kitty, I want to be there for you, but I can't if you're not around. Please call me."

 _Beep_

Kitty stopped crying and sniffed. Tyler sounded really, legitimately sorry. But Kitty didn't think she was ready to make that commitment of going back. She liked it here, in 221B. It's where she felt close to Sherlock. And whenever she was close to Sherlock, or was at least able to replicate the feeling, she felt safe. She didn't want to give that up.

Kitty almost laughed at how much her thoughts sounded like Sherlock, but couldn't quite bring a smile to her face. She really missed Sherlock. And Joan. But more Sherlock. He had been one of the few friends she had in this world, and he was the only one she had that she trusted fully.

So, Kitty couldn't help herself. She snatched up her phone and went to speed dial. Sherlock's number was still number one on the list. She couldn't stop herself, not that she really wanted to, she pressed his number and held the phone up to her ear. She waited. Then she heard the sound of someone answering the phone.

"Kitty?" she heard Sherlock ask. Kitty desperately wanted to say something, but she couldn't find any words to say. All she could do was sit there like a mute and listen to the voice on the other end.

"Kitty, talk to me," Sherlock instructed in his please-talk-to-me tone that Kitty had heard many times before when she had refused to tell Sherlock something. Her eyes very quickly moistened with tears, and she shook her head. She couldn't say anything. She lowered the phone slowly from her ear and heard Sherlock shout "Kitty!" before hanging up.

Then, Kitty did what she had been doing a lot for the past few days. She cried.

* * *

 **Thank you to the _lovely_ "Guest of sorts" who left a perfectly delightful review (I have a sneaking suspicion I know who you are). You are the reason this chapter was written so quickly. :) Please do leave reviews, as I am new to this fanfiction game. And, who knows? After this story is done, I might elaborate on my headcanon mentioned in the disclaimer! :p **


	8. Broken

**Keep your tissues with you; this is another sad chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own Kitty, Joan or Sherlock. :(**

* * *

"Hey, daddy," Chelsea greeted her father, pulling herself up onto a chair.

"Hi, sweetie," Tyler greeted back. "What's up?"

"Where's Kitty?"

"I told you, Chels," Tyler explained. "She had to go away for a little bit. She'll be back."

"Daddy," Chelsea groaned. "A little bit of Skittles is five Skittles. A little bit of water is a small cup of water. A little bit of time is one hour. Kitty been gone lots of days!"

Damn, this kid was smart. Tyler wondered how long she'd been thinking about this. He also wondered if Jemima was involved in this somehow.

"Five days is not 'lots of days', Chelsea," Tyler reasoned. "Yes, it is more than 'a little bit', but she _will_ be back. She just needs some space."

Tyler said the last bit more to convince himself than Chelsea. He hoped Kitty would come back, and he hoped to the moon and back that she was alright. Well, considering her emotional state, he doubted she was alright, but he hoped that she was strong enough to pull through. He really wished he could be by her side to help her pull through, but he knew that he had also been part of the pain she was feeling right now.

He then had an idea. Perhaps if he couldn't get to her, one of her other friends could. So, he picked up the phone and dialled Hannah, the girl friend closest to Kitty. She picked up and they did the usual small talk, and then Tyler spent the next half hour explaining everything on the phone to Hannah. Her reaction was much the same that Tyler had when he had heard the story.

Hannah promised she'd find Kitty and see what she could do to help. That was all Tyler needed to hear. He thanked his friend, hung up and breathed for the first time he had in days. He knew that this wouldn't ease the pain in his chest from how he hurt Kitty, but he knew he could rest easy, now that he knew that someone else was looking after her.

Hannah, true to her word, searched for Kitty and quickly found her at 221B Baker Street. There was a lot Tyler hadn't told her, but only because he didn't know. Hannah knocked on the door and heard shuffling inside the apartment.

Meanwhile, on the inside, Kitty had indulged in some ice cream and _Good Luck Charlie_ to dull her emotions. She was so involved in indulging, that you can understand the fright she got when she heard a loud knock on the door. She cussed quietly, but got up to answer it anyway. As she had with Sherlock (twice!) she flicked her knife to reveal the blade and went to the door.

 _I hope it's not Ty_ , she thought to herself. She was relieved to see that it wasn't Tyler, but Hannah. Her closest girl friend didn't look at all different. She had only aged gracefully and still had everything that Kitty remembered. She somewhat hesitantly opened the door.

"Hannah," she greeted gingerly.

"Hi, Kitty," Hannah greeted. "Good to see you."

Wait. How did Hannah know her new identity? She hadn't told anyone but…oh, of course. This was all Tyler's work, wasn't it?

"Tyler sent you, didn't he?" Kitty skipped the small talk and got straight to the point. Hannah nodded and then slid her eyes down to the ground. "How much did he tell you?"

"As much as you told him," Hannah didn't hold back the truth. That's the one thing Kitty had always loved about her. Kitty nodded.

"So he sent you here because he's too cowardly to come himself?" Kitty found herself spitting out spite before she could get control of her mouth.

"No!" Hannah defended him. "It's nothing like that. He feels bad for hurting you, and he wanted to make sure you had a friend by your side while you deal with your emotions!"

"So he chose you?"

Hannah nodded, and Kitty felt kind of bad for speaking out hurtful words. But she decided not to let it affect her. Instead, she decided to take a different route.

"So, why should I let you come in?" Kitty asked, taking the conversation in a different direction.

"Because we're friends," Hannah answered. "And friends are always there for each other. Just like the song says."

 _It had started with only her and Hannah dancing to it, but, now all the gang were up, just dancing randomly. After all, that's what friends did, right? They made fools of themselves together?_

 _They all sang the last line and struck a dramatic post, "I'll be there for you, 'coz you're there for me too!"_

Kitty shook her head, trying to erase the memory. Now was not the time for flashbacks.

"No," Kitty hissed. "I don't need this."

"Kitty, please," Hannah begged, but Kitty cut her off again.

"No. Tell Tyler I don't need him and I don't need you. I don't need any of you. My past is in the past, and that includes you!"

Kitty slammed the door before Hannah could say anything else, and she locked all six locks before fleeing up the stairs to the safety and comfort of the bed she was sleeping in, and the little cushions of herself, Sherlock and Joan she had made.

Through her fresh batch of tears, she raised her head, ran her fingers over the toys of Sherlock and Joan.

"I really miss you guys," she whispered before losing it completely.

She broke and sobbed. But they weren't the loud, wailing sobs. They were the sobs that start in the pit of ones stomach then creep up the frame as the person racks their frame, trying to get it out. It eventually escapes the lips in a barely audible whimper, accompanied by tears of agony. It is the kind of sob that emerges from the deepest of the deepest of depths of pain and the kind that hurt the most.

They're the kind that come from the people who have endured the most suffering.

* * *

 **HA! You thought this chapter was going to end well, didn't you? Sorry, I have other plans. But don't worry, my little readers, there will be a happy ending. No, it may not be seen on the horizon just yet, but keep sailing on and leave reviews to make this boat sail a little faster. Peace out for now :)**


	9. Dear Sherlock

**Disclaimer: CBS keeps stonewalling me in my attempt to own the characters for myself. So, I don't own 'em.**

* * *

The sunlight leaked through the cracks in the curtain like honey dribbling off a spoon into a bowl. The light quickly touched Kitty's closed eyes, revealing her in a deep slumber. Her Joan and Kitty dolls were lying on the floor and the Sherlock doll was held close to her chest. Well, more like, she was lying on top of it, but either way, it was close to her heart.

Hannah had returned to Tyler's house to tell him that Kitty was shutting all her friends out. Tyler had hung his head, thanked Hannah and then went up to his room to figure out what to do next. He couldn't very well tell Chelsea what was going on; she would be crushed. Tyler figured Jemima ought to know, but he decided to wait until that afternoon. Why ruin her day before it even got started?

In New York, Sherlock had gathered up a stray he had brought in the night before, after Joan had gone to sleep, and placed it outside Joan's door. The scratching and little whimpers coming from outside her door quickly woke Joan up. As usual, she gathered up the source of her awakening and went downstairs to complain to Sherlock. But, this time, she was more annoyed than usual. After all, it was a _dog_. How were they going to take care of a dog whilst living in the brownstone?

Kitty rolled over, enjoying a good dream, and rolled right off the side of the bed! She hit the ground with a _thud_ and her eyes popped open. When she saw what had happened and that it was morning, she groaned. She didn't want to get up and face another day without Sherlock. At least she had the Sherlock doll. That'd help at least a little bit.

She pulled herself up and trudged downstairs, helping herself to whatever she could find in the kitchen. She knew she'd have to go shopping to get more food, but she really wasn't up for the task. Her emotions made her feel lazy, so she decided to write another letter to Sherlock. So, Kitty grabbed a pen and some paper and settled down on the couch in front of the television. She picked up the pen and started to write.

A half hour later, Kitty had only written:

 _Dear Sherlock_

 _What do you do when you're broken?_

 _Love Kitty_

That was all Kitty wrote. That was all she _could_ write. She knew that her raw emotional state could very well send her down the wrong path, as it had for Sherlock. But, the thing is, Kitty didn't want to be that way. She didn't want to do drugs and then have to go through that whole painful process of coming clean and staying clean. She knew how hard it had been, and still was, for Sherlock, and she refused to put herself and Sherlock through that nightmare.

Kitty, somehow, eventually pried herself up off the couch and got herself dressed. She got some money and somehow got herself out the front door. Her goal was to post the letter, but the supermarket was on her way, so she may as well pick up a few supplies.

When she got back, Kitty lazily unpacked the bags and then flopped down onto the couch with some more ice cream. She then spent the rest of the day just flipping through the channels, not even getting up to go to the toilet, have a shower or even get anymore food or drink. It was as if her emotions had her pinned down to the couch. Or her lack thereof.

Kitty then suddenly realised that it was as if all her emotions had been abducted by aliens and they'd left the Milky Way. The feeling made her feel lazy; all she wanted to do was lie down and watch TV and then sleep for a millennium. But she did have a job at Scotland Yard. That she forgot about until that moment.

"Damn. Not good," Kitty muttered weakly, not even bothering to get up and tell them that she didn't want to work for them anymore. Not that she had actually done any work for them as of yet. Oh well. If they called, she'd drop out.

Which is exactly what happened three minutes later. Kitty's phone buzzed, and she recognised it as the number of one of the officers at Scotland Yard.

"Kitty Winter?" he asked chirpily. He was always chirpy.

 _Sometimes he's just so chirpy, I want to punch him in the face. Repeatedly. With a metal chair._ Kitty thought to herself.

"Yes?"

"We need you to come in."

"Sorry, I can't," Kitty fibbed. Of course she _could_ , she just had no desire to. "I'm really busy."

"Oh. Okay," the officer said. "In that case, I'll see you when you do come in. Bye!"

"Bye."

Kitty hung up and dumped the phone on the table. She then leaned her head back and ran her hands over her face while letting out a long groan. She wished she were a child again, so that she just had to ask her parents for money instead of going out and earning it herself. Kitty slumped even further down into the couch and closed her eyes for a sleep.

Meanwhile, Officer Plummer, the man at Scotland Yard who had called Kitty, was on the phone to Sherlock. Kitty had been on with them for three days now, and she had not once shown up to work. Plummer was kind of concerned about her. He knew that she was a friend of Sherlock's, so maybe he could shed some light about what was going on.

Sherlock was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from one of his friends from Scotland Yard, and upon hearing Plummer's concerns, he told the story of what happened to Kitty. Sherlock said that Plummer needn't worry and that Kitty just needed to sort through her emotions, and then she'd come in to work. In the meantime, he should just let Kitty work from home.

"Who was that?" a female asked, waltzing through the door. Plummer looked up to see his very good friend and colleague, Lucia Kirke.

"Just an old friend who worked here a few years ago," he said. "It's nothing really."

"Oh. Okay," Lucia said. "They got a hit on the windowless, brown van. It's headed for Baker Street."

* * *

 **Dun, dun, duuuuuuun! What's going to happen next? I honestly don't know where the story's going right now, but I promise that there will be some form of a happy ending. Leave a review, and peace out! :)**


	10. Sherlock's Safe Room

**Disclaimer: I only own Plummer, Lucia, the masked men and the windowless brown van. Nothing else. Also, I own the Sherlock, Joan and Kitty dolls, but not the actual characters**

* * *

Kitty awoke to the sound of tyres screeching just outside her house. Curious, she hauled herself up off her chair and wandered over to the window. She saw a windowless brown van blocking the street and a bunch of masked men with big guns.

Kitty ducked just in time to avoid a bullet that smashed through her window. It took less than a second to deduce that these men were after her. Her training with Sherlock instantly kicked in. She stayed low and scooted away from windows and doors. She didn't know why, but she ran up the stairs.

Kitty quickly found Sherlock's safe room. How she knew he had a safe room, and where to find it, she didn't know. But what she did know is that she'd be safe there until the police arrived. The door closed behind her and she pressed herself up against the wall next to the door and flicked open her knife.

She could hear the men outside, still searching. Why they were after her, she didn't know. She had, however, been smart enough to open a window to make them think she'd escaped that way. She only hoped that they'd believe it. She also wished she could have her Sherlock doll with her to make her feel a bit better.

Kitty realised, as she stood there, that someone who were to meet her might think that she was obsessed with Sherlock. But, Kitty thought, people tend to be a bit obsessed about the ones they care about. But not in a bad way.

The men took Kitty's bait about climbing out the window and went after her. The other men went back to the front to block her path, only to be gunned down by Scotland Yard. The men who went out the back were also stopped by Scotland Yard. Once all the men were either dead or in cuffs, the police went through the house, searching for Kitty.

They eventually reached the room where Kitty was hiding. Kitty heard them and thought the men had come back. She gripped her knife tighter and looked around the safe room. There was only a bed in the corner, as well as a few thick books beside it. Typical Sherlock

"Kitty?" Plummer called out, as he had in every other room. "Kitty, you can come out now. It's safe!"

Upon hearing Plummer's voice, Kitty ve-e-e-e-ery slowly pushed open the door and emerged, still holding her knife. She was still apprehensive and refused to let down her guard until she was sure that it was Scotland Yard and not the masked men.

"Are you alright, Kitty?" Plummer asked when he saw her.

"I'm fine," Kitty almost snapped, but just managed to get a grip of her tone before responding. Just then, Lucia walked into the room, talking.

"We've already got an ID on one of the shooters, he is-"

She stopped short when she saw Kitty, and her surprise was obvious. Kitty's expression changed from indifference to surprise to guilt to shame and back to indifference in less than three seconds.

"Sarah-Jane!" she said, clearly in quite a bit of shock.

"Lucy," Kitty replied quietly, nodding slightly. She let her gaze drop to her shoes.

"Wait, what?" Plummer asked confused. "Do you two know each other? Is there something I'm missing? Why did you call her Sarah-Jane?"

"Lay off the questions, Plummer!" Lucia snapped and then toned it down. A moment's silence passed, with Kitty and Lucia just exchanging glances, before Kitty very roughly snapped shut her blade.

"Will someone _please_ tell me what's going on?" Plummer pleaded with both ladies. Lucia sighed in annoyance and then turned to her senior.

"Yes, Plummer, I do know this woman," Lucia said. "She's my sister. And she has a whole lot of explaining to do. Wouldn't you agree, SJ?"

If looks could kill, Kitty would have murdered Lucia then and there.

* * *

 **Yeah, I know, short chapter. But I, much like Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, find that most things are left better unsaid. :) That, and I was lacking words for this one. :) So, once again, I am sorry that it's so short, but I will write a longer one next time.**


	11. Sisters Forever?

**Disclaimer: I don't know why, but CBS is really hesitant to give ownership of the Elementary characters to me. Hmm...**

* * *

Kitty sat in a chair at Scotland Yard, searching for some way to escape. She didn't want to see her little sister again, and yet she had. She didn't want to tell Lucy what had happened, so she was thinking up ways to escape the place. If not, at least to escape the conversation.

She couldn't get to the fire alarm; that was out in the hall, and she had to walk past a dozen different officers to get to it. It wasn't on her way to the toilet either, so she ruled out that idea. She thought about drilling through the floor and just dropping down, but that would cause too much of a riot. Maybe if she actually started a fire…

It was too late anyway. Kitty could see Lucia and Plummer coming her way. She looked away, not wanting any of this. All she really wanted was to go back to New York and snuggle up close to Sherlock for a while. But she knew that wasn't possible, since Gregson would arrest her the moment her feet touched New York soil. However, at the moment, prison seemed luxurious to this confrontation she was about to have.

The door closed, but Kitty refused to respond. She knew it was only Lucia. Plummer had a very distinctive smell and it wasn't in the room, so he wasn't there.

"SJ?" Lucia asked, approaching warily.

"Kitty," Kitty snapped. "Kitty Winter."

"Fine," Lucia huffed. "Tell me what happened, Kitty."

Kitty's patience was already low, and this wasn't helping. Still, she chose to ignore. Lucia kept trying to get Kitty to face her, but to no avail.

"Kitty, I'm you're _sister_ , for Pete's sake!" Lucia sighed exasperatedly. "Please tell me what happened. Why'd you leave five years ago, and never come back?"

Kitty's patience finally ran out.

"I don't have to tell you anything!" she snapped, leaping out of her chair and facing her little sister.

"Well, I think I deserve to know the truth!" Lucia snapped back.

"You wouldn't be able to handle this truth!" Kitty snapped, raising her voice slightly. "Trust me!"

"How do you know I couldn't handle it?" Lucia shot back. "And how can you tell me to 'trust you' when you dropped out of my life without an explanation?"

"You're right," Kitty said, lowering her voice again. "But you wouldn't be able to handle this truth. Even I can't handle it, and it happened to me."

"Kitty…" Lucia began, but the trailed off, not knowing what to say. She adjusted her uniform and reached out to touch her sister, who pulled away.

"No, Lu, don't," Kitty said. "There's a reason I changed my identity. It was so _no one_ would find me."

Lucia's blood boiled, and she couldn't explain why. Perhaps it was all those years she never spent with her sister. Her big sister, her safe haven, her role model.

"Don't give me that," Lucia hissed before her voice gradually loudened as she spoke. "You have no idea how much doing that hurt me. I looked up to you, I felt safe with you. Then you went and left us, and without an explanation or trace, when you could have come back! I-I spent every day looking out my window, waiting for you to come home, but you never did! Y-You never even called. Or wrote! You just disappeared and expected us to just move on! Well, you're wrong!"

Kitty was stunned, as was Lucia. She had just poured out her heart and soul in her workplace, and they both just stood there.

"Lu," Kitty sighed, ready to start the story, but Lucia shook her head. She turned and ran from the building to hide her tears. Kitty's blood boiled in anger. It wasn't fair of Lucia to say that after what she had been through. On the other hand, she did have a point. Kitty should have at least left a note. But she had been so broken back then, and so broken now, that she didn't want to do anything but run. She really did hate it when her sister was right.

A half-hour later, Kitty found Lucia slumped up against the back of the building, just staring off into the distance. She decided to cut the small talk and get to the point.

"You're right, Lu," Kitty said. "You deserve to know the truth."

Lucia looked up and smiled a bit. She patted a spot on the ground, but Kitty shook her head, having made up her mind to give Lucia the short version of the story.

"Five years ago, I was kidnapped and raped. I ran. Another man found me and fixed me. Then I found my offender the other night and almost killed him. The other man talked me out of it. I hurt my offender a lot, so I had to run away to avoid jail. I came here. End of story."

Kitty turned on her heel and speed walked off. Lucia just sat there, dumbfounded. _That_ was why her sister ran away? Why didn't Kitty just tell her? They could have avoided the fight they had. Lucia decided to give Kitty a bit of space and shrugged it off.

Her big sister had always been a complicated person.

* * *

 **Yeah, this is taking a lot longer than I thought. But it'll reach a happy ending sometime. Perhaps when we reach the end of the world (Narnia reference, sorry all non-Narnians!). Leave a review and I will see you for the next chapter. Peace out! :)**


	12. The Sister Oath

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kitty, Sherlock, Joan or Clyde. Not that Clyde actually makes an appearance in this story.**

* * *

That evening, both Kitty and Lucia sat on the same couch, indulging in the same foods. Lucia had managed to pull a few strings and get the window fixed that very day, which Kitty was very grateful for. Now, both sisters on the couch, making silent reparations with each other and watching the _Discovery_ channel, neither girl wanted anything else.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Lucia asked quietly, breaking the silence. She raised her head which had previously been resting on Kitty's shoulder. Kitty sighed thoughtfully.

"I was hurt, and scared, and just so…" Kitty trailed off. She knew the word she wanted to say was 'broken', but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Whether it was fear that it would sound cheesy or fear that it would trigger new tears, Kitty was unsure. Kitty cleared her throat.

"After it happened, I didn't know what to do," she tried again. "So I ran, and eventually managed to forget my past."

"Then…why do you now seem to be embracing it now?" Lucia inquired. Kitty glanced down at her sister and then looked back at the television. She smiled at the question. It was the first time she had smiled in four days. It felt good to smile again.

"I told you earlier that another man found me," Kitty started. "His name is Sherlock. He was working with Scotland Yard when he found me. He took me on and trained me to be a detective. He took me back to New York to continue my training with him and the NYPD. I met his former partner, and I despised her at first. But then I embraced the fact that she had once been trained by Sherlock, too, and I started to learn off her too.

"In all of that training, Sherlock and his former partner, Joan, they helped to, well, fix me in a way. I learned to use my pain from my past to excel in my work."

Kitty stopped, fearing that if she continued, she'd cry again. She felt Luci's arms wrap around her.

"Then why did you leave?" she continued her little interrogation. Kitty almost laughed at that comparison, but also missed watching in on interrogations.

"Several nights ago, I found the man who raped me. I had every intention of killing him, but Sherlock talked me out of it. I instead caused him as much pain as I could and then ran. The NYPD might have looked the other way if I hadn't ever screwed up before, but that wasn't true. I had, and I'd used up all me favours. I ran away, again, and now have ended up here."

Kitty's voice was emotionless, just like she was feeling. This, of course, was her way of coping when overwhelmed with emotion. Lucia cuddled Kitty closer and Kitty didn't resist – she leaned into the hug.

"So that's why you never came back," Lucia mumbled into her sister's clothing. Kitty nodded, squeezing her eyes shut. Kitty had just been forgiven, and she knew it. It felt so, so, _so_ good to be held by family. It felt even better to be held by family after not seeing them for five years and being forgiven for disappearing. Kitty didn't even know she had been crying until she heard herself draw in a shaky breath.

"Oh, Kitty," Lucia murmured, pressing light kisses to the top of Kitty's head. "It's okay."

"It feels so good to be here again," Kitty snivelled out in a barely audible whisper.

"See? You just can't stand to be away from me, can you, you big baby?" Lucia teased quietly. When Kitty let out a snort that was somewhere between a sob and a laugh, Lucia knew that she had done her job in cheering her sister up.

"So, what about Ty, Hannah and the gang?" Lucia inquired once she was sure that Kitty had stopped crying.

"What about them?" Kitty replied in a very snappish tone.

"Surely you didn't come from New York straight to this place," Lucia pointed out. Kitty sighed. Her sister knew her too damn well.

"I did go to Ty," Kitty admitted. "But left when he ran off the night I told him everything."

"Kitty, you really are an idiot," Lucia said bluntly. By this time, Kitty had pulled herself up and was facing the television again.

"What?" Kitty asked, turning her head. Lucia stared straight into her sister's eyes.

"You're an idiot for leaving Ty like that."

"I was being a burden, Lu!" Kitty snapped. "You don't understand anything."

"I'm an adult now, Kitty," Lucia retorted. "I know more than you think. And I still know Ty, I kept in touch with him. If he ran off after you told him, it was to clear his head."

"No!" Kitty said in her tone that she used when she was desperately close to killing someone out of anger and/or hurt. It was the same tone she had used the night she was talking to her offender. She spun around and lifted up the back of her top, revealing the scars. " _This_ is why he ran. What _I_ went through, that's why he ran. It's _my_ fault that he had to leave to 'clear his head'."

"Kitty!" Lucia gasped in shock upon hearing her little rant and seeing her scars. Kitty let her top fall back down.

"No, Lu. Just leave," Kitty ordered in a shaky voice.

"No," Lucia's soft reply came from behind. Kitty turned around.

"I said: leave."

"No. I'm not leaving my sister when she's in a state like this," Lucia deadpanned. "I'm staying until I'm sure you don't need me anymore."

That was what Kitty had wanted, what Kitty had _needed_ all along. She just hadn't realised it until that moment. She was the one who initiated the hug with her little sister and cried silently for a while. After she was all cried out, she pulled away. She could see that Lucia's eyes were watery, too.

 _When you laugh, I'll laugh with you. When you cry, I'll cry with you. When you beat the crap out of a guy for mistreating you, I'll join you in beating the crap out of him. When you sit in jail for beating up that guy, I'll be right there next to you._

Kitty smiled slightly at the memory of the "Sister's Oath" her and Lucia had made up when they were younger. The part she remembered in that moment was only a small part, but was still special for her.

"Feel better?" Lucia asked. Kitty nodded and swiped at her eyes.

"A bit."

"Good," Lucia said. "Now, you go have a shower, and then we'll talk about how to make things right with Ty and the rest of your friends."

* * *

 **Okay, now we're getting somewhere! This story is on a good path and will be tied up in a nice, neat little bow before the 20th chapter...or not. :) Let me know if you feel if I'm not staying true to the Elementary characters in certain parts. And I promise to revisit the "Sister Oath" in a later chapter. I will give you the whole version. Peace out! :)**


	13. Goodnight

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kitty, Joan, Sherlock, or Clyde, who is mentioned in this chapter. Which is a pity. He's so cute and I just wanna have him so bad. And I'm talking about Clyde, not Sherlock. But Sherlock is a precious darling. :)**

* * *

Two days later, and a dozen calls later, and Kitty sat on the couch of the living room of 221B Baker Street, surrounded by her teenage-hood friends: Tyler, Samuel, Timothy, Amanda and Hannah. Kitty was explaining everything to them, and seeking their forgiveness. After hearing her story, her friends were very quick to forgive and accept her new identity.

They were also very agreeable to the idea that they were not to discuss it with anyone else, and not even to discuss it amongst themselves until Kitty was ready for them to. They then all settled down and argued over which channel to watch, just as they did as teenagers. Kitty pulled aside Tyler and Hannah into a separate room and closed the door.

"I just wanted to apologise for shutting you out these past few days," she apologised, not looking them in the eye. "It's just been hard for me."

Hannah and Tyler didn't hesitate to forgive her and pull her into a group hug. Kitty felt as if she were about to cry.

 _Oh, not again!_ Kitty thought to herself, snuggling up close to her friends' warm embraces. After a moment, they pulled away and Hannah excused herself to calm the fight that was going on outside over the channels. Tyler and Kitty were left alone once again. They quickly found themselves in another hug.

"Oh, Kitty, it's alright," Tyler soothed. "It will all be alright. We're still best friends. It's alright."

Kitty pulled away, feeling a sharp tug in her heart. She turned away from Tyler.

"Best friends?" she questioned, staring at the wall. The colour was quite nice. It was definitely a colour Sherlock had chosen out.

"Yes!" Tyler said. "We may have been separated for a while, and drifted apart, but we can be really close. Just like we used to be.

"Five years is more than a while," Kitty pointed out, which earned a laugh from Tyler. Kitty then turned around to face him again. "But we can't go back to being really close."

"Why not?" Tyler wondered, his smile dropping from his face.

"After what happened to me," Kitty explained. "We can't 'go back' to anything. We can't go back to the past and re-create those moments. We can only move forward and create new moments, new memories and new bonds."

"So…our bond of the past is just that?" Tyler asked. "The past? And we have to create a new bond?"

Kitty nodded. There was no other way to still be friends with her friends other than moving forward and putting the past behind them; by starting over. Tyler nodded, too, in understanding.

"Very well, then," he agreed. "Let's start over."

Kitty couldn't help but laugh at what he said and the way he said it. It was the first time she had laughed in two weeks. It felt really, really, really good.

"What? What's so funny?" Tyler inquired, hoping that Kitty hadn't suddenly gone mad.

"What you said!" Kitty giggled. "It sounded so much like Sherlock!"

Tyler smiled. Kitty had often talked of him in the short time she had re-united with Tyler, and he knew that she really cared about this Sherlock person.

"Glad I could make you happy," Tyler said, putting his arm around his friend. "It's so good to see you smile and laugh. Did I ever tell you how much I love your smile?"

Kitty had stopped laughing by now and she just smiled up at him and gave him a peck on the cheek. Just then, the landline rang, and Kitty cursed it for interrupting the moment.

"Kitty Winter!" Tyler mock-gasped upon hearing her swear out loud. "Watch your language!"

All Kitty could do was immaturely stick her tongue out at her friend and scamper off to answer the phone.

"Hello?" she inquired.

"Kitty?" Sherlock's voice came through loud and clear. "Are you okay?"

If she had heard Sherlock's voice yesterday, Kitty would have broken down into tears. But, today, since she was re-united with her friends, she felt a bittersweet happiness in her heart.

"I'm great, Sherlock," Kitty replied, smiling. She felt herself tear up just a little. "God, it's so good to hear your voice again."

"As it is with yours," Sherlock replied politely. "Are you sure you're okay? I received your letter, and it doesn't sound like you're okay."

Kitty's mind reeled, and she suddenly remembered the letter she'd sent Sherlock. _Dear Sherlock, What do you do when you're broken? Love Kitty_

"I, um, have re-united with my sister and my childhood friends," Kitty explained. "And it's made me feel, not quite whole again, but close to whole again."

"Good, good," Sherlock said. Kitty wasn't surprised he didn't ask about her sister: being Sherlock, he probably knew five minutes after he'd taken her on for training.

"How's Joan?" Kitty asked, also missing the good ex-doctor's voice.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Sherlock offered. "Just a minute, I'll get her for you."

Kitty snorted when she heard Sherlock bellow his infamous "Watson", followed by Joan's hurried, and somewhat annoyed, footsteps. There was some talking that Kitty couldn't make out, but she knew Sherlock was telling Joan that she was on the phone.

"Kitty!" she heard Joan greet happily. "How are you doing?"

"Not too well these past few days," Kitty admitted. "But better now."

"That's good," Joan said. Kitty could recognise her very motherly-caring tone as she spoke. "You miss Sherlock, don't you?"

"Yeah," Kitty sighed, and then hesitantly admitted. "I, um, kind of make a little cushion of him and one of you."

She heard Joan chuckle on the other end of the line.

"You're going to have to take photos of them and then email them to me," she told Kitty. "So, are you enjoying 221B? It's a really nice place."

"Yes, I am," Kitty said. "And, yes it-"

Kitty stopped abruptly, suddenly realising that she hadn't told Joan or Sherlock that she was residing in Sherlock's place.

"How did you know?" Kitty asked, almost dumbfounded. Almost. She would be fully dumbfounded if she didn't know Sherlock.

"Plummer," Joan quipped.

"Of course," Kitty grumbled, and then heard her name called from the living room. "It's been nice to hear your voice again, Joan. But I have to go."

"Likewise," Joan said. "Well, in that case, you take care, Kitty. I'll expect another phone call, email or letter from you soon. Bye!"

"Bye."

Kitty hung up and walked briskly to the living room, where her friends eagerly sat, having picked out a movie. Kitty groaned when she saw that it was "The Princess Bride". She had watched that so many times, she didn't enjoy it anymore. But, her friends and sister managed to persuade her to watch it, so she did.

Later, at ten o'clock that night, both Lucia and Kitty climbed into their beds in the same room. Kitty had been the one who requested they be close by, which Lucia quickly agreed to.

"Hey, Kitty," Lucia asked.

"Mmm?" Kitty responded.

"Do you remember the Sister Oath?" Lucia asked, smiling. Kitty sat up and nodded, then started to recite it.

"We are sisters. When you laugh, I'll laugh with you. When you cry, I'll cry with you. When you beat the crap out of a guy for mistreating you, I'll join you in beating the crap out of him. When you sit in jail for beating up that guy, I'll be right there next to you. When you get in trouble, I'll get you out. When I get in trouble, I'll take you down with me.

"When good times come, I will stick by your side and remind you to remain thankful, and not to take things for granted. When hard times come, I will stick by your side and support you. I will remind you to be thankful always and I will help develop you into a stronger and better person.

"I will be your anchor, your strong tower, your tattletale, your defender, your best friend, your worst enemy, your safe haven, your personal annoyance and your everything. I will always be there for you, because I know that you'll be there for me. I have been your sister always, and will be your sister always."

Lucia looked as if she were about to cry, and Kitty scooted over to comfort her.

"I-I can't believe you still remember that," Lucia said with a shaky breath.

"Of course I remember, you doofus!" Kitty half-laughed, whacking her sister.

"I just thought…you know, after everything that happened, that you'd forgotten," Lucia admitted.

"Lu, look at me," Kitty ordered softly, and her sister complied. "No matter what happens to me, I will never forget that oath or my sister. I promise."

Lucia nodded and hugged her sister back. After a minute, they pulled away, and Kitty tucked Lucia in, just like she did when Lucia was only a little girl. She flicked off the light and then climbed into her bed and stared up at the celing, which she'd covered with glow-in-the-dark stickers to help her sleep better.

As she stared, she contemplated this road to recovery she'd discovered through her sister. Simply by Lucy showing up and re-uniting Kitty with her friends, she was sure that she was going to heal. She thought of Sherlock, and wondered how he'd felt when he'd discovered his own road to recovery, and how he felt when he stopped using drugs and how he felt when he knew that he wasn't going to use them again.

She wondered how Joan felt after her malpractice (Sherlock had told her). Kitty imagined Joan felt much like Kitty had these past few days, just perhaps on a different scale, in a different way. Kitty wondered how Joan felt when she'd discovered her own road to recovery of that guilt. Was it when she became a sober companion? Or was it when she met Sherlock? If Kitty was gambling, she'd bet on the latter.

Kitty then started wondering about Clyde. Had he been traumatised at all and had to find his own road to recovery? Kitty quietly chuckled at that idea, but highly doubted it. On the other hand, it was possible, with everything Sherlock did to him. Kitty then wondered if Sherlock and Joan had worked out custody arrangements for their tortoise.

There was a lot Kitty wondered about the life of Joan and Sherlock only a week after she'd left. She decided to go to sleep before she started wondering about Moriarty. Sherlock had talked about her once, in great detail. Needless to say, Kitty was fascinated by the woman, even though she'd never laid eyes on Moriarty.

Kitty sighed with contentment and then picked up her three little cushion dolls.

"Goodnight, little Kitty, goodnight, Joan" she said quietly to the likenesses of herself and Joan and snuggled them up close to herself. Then, she picked up her Sherlock cushion doll.

"Goodnight, Sherlock," she whispered.

And, as Kitty drifted off to sleep, she heard Sherlock's voice in the back of her head.

 _Goodnight Kitty. Sleep well._

 ** _-Fin-_**

* * *

 **There! We are done! All tied up in a nice, neat little bow, just like I promised! Yay! I will hopefully be back with more fic in the near future. If not in the near future, it will be in the future sometime. Anyway, peace out, and I will see all you lovelies who read this at my next fic!**


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